Customer Reviews

The Blues

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4 star:		(1)
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Nina Simone SHOULD have been the biggest star of the past forty years, and this album is one of her very best. She does it all - sexy, funky R&B (Do I Move You? Day and Night, In The Dark, Buck), social commentary that makes you feel as angry as she is (The Pusher, Blues for Mama, Backlash Blues) and songs of deep spirituality to inspire you (even without her astounding voice, the piano on "Nobody's Fault But Mine" all by itself could break your heart, and her version of Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," which EVERYBODY has recorded is beyond a doubt the best ever.) Nina Simone isn't one-tenth as well known as she ought to be, and anybody who has never heard her has missed a lot.

Eunice Waymon (aka Nina Simone) has reportedly been playing piano since she was four years old and recorded her first album in the late 1950's. This CD was originally recorded at various locations between 1966 and 1971 and features a variety of musicians anchored by Nina playing piano and handling all vocal duties. The CD contains approximately 54 minutes of music. Approximately 32 of those minutes feature a rather sultry, sometimes dark, stand out performance by Simone. The remaining 22 minutes of the CD seems somewhat dated, commercialized and do not adequately represent the true vocal capabilities and range of this great singer. For example, "Do I Move You", "In The Dark", "I Want A Little Sugar" and "My Man's Gone Now" are excellent jazz flavored blues tunes that you will want to listen to over and over again. While, "Day And Night", "Real, Real", "House Of The Rising Son" and "The Pusher" you might listen to once and then program the player to pass them by the next time around. There are some exceptional tunes here well worth a listen.

Today we lost one of the greatest musical artists that ever existed. This has been one of my favorite albums since I got it 3 years ago. I wanted to write this review to encourage those researching Nina (now that she's gone) to get this album! It will knock you out flat on the floor. "Do I Move You" is down-and-dirty blues (a real eye-opener to those who peg Nina as a jazz singer), as is "Blues For Mama" (probably the first song that turned me on to Nina). "My Man's Gone Now" is downright hair-raising, topped off with a chilling vibrato that only Nina could deliver. Nina's take on Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" reveals a sharp pain to the song that Rick Danko and The Band came very close to in their brilliant version.

The whole album is great, including the rousing live version of "Gin House Blues" at the end. Nina has a great body of work, and these songs are as good as anything else she has done. Put it at or very near the top of your "must-have" list for Nina recordings. Thanks for the great music, Nina.

Many CD's that label themselves as "Blues" may only contain 2 or 3 tracks that the majority of people with any kind of rhythm would call "bluesy". This CD is one of the noted exceptions. While it is not the hard guitar, I lost my woman blues that is all over SRV's "Bues at Sunrise" (another very noted exception to the above), this CD is truly a blues CD by a woman that knew what the hell she was singing. Even the faster cuts (few on this CD) seem to keep a painful bluesy feel to them. This is certainly a gem in my ever-growing collection.

I got this CD as a gift from someone who knows I love blues. I didn't listen to it right away as I wasn't familiar with Nina Simone, but as soon as I put it in my CD player, it didn't come out for weeks! She is one of the most passionate and evocative singers I've ever heard, and her interpretations of these songs will send shivers down your spine, make you weep, and make you dance. Many friends of mine, hearing this album at my house, have had to rush out and get their own copy. It is timeless, and absolutely one of the best albums I own, in any genre.

The blues is one of my favorite nina Simone albums. From the opening track the senual Do I move (the answer better be yes), to the almost heartbreaking My man's gone now to the Bessie smith classic i want a little sugar in my bowl among others. My favorite song in this collection is the bluesy since I fell for you in which Nina's voice and tone completely pulls you in. The blues is a gem of an album. It's is Nina Simone at her best and a definite must have.

Nina never ceases to amaze me. This woman refuses to be pidgeon-holed into any one music category as an artist. Just when I gotten used to her jazz-flavored CDs, she comes out with a bluesy, soulful, no-holes barred CD. The songs remind me of a heavy Southern summer's night, full of harmonica, guitar-driven, heavy bass-laden riffs about a woman enjoying her personal and sexual freedom. Listening to the authority of her voice, I wonder if Simone was going through a similar experience, otherwise how could she sing with such conviction and honesty? Most of the songs center on a woman going thru different stages of her relationships with men. As such, you can hear the joy and pain in her voice. Sometimes she's even seething with anger as she tells her man to "Go To Hell", one of the songs here. With "The Pusher", Nina was one of the first female artists in the 60s to talk frankly about drugs. But Nina is never one artist to play it "safe". With this CD, you can't help but wonder if some of the songs are autobiographical in nature; you actually feel like you're peeking into a woman's diary as she details the state of her relationships.

Probably the best CD purchase of my college career, and I don't even know anything about blues. What I do know is that Nina Simone is one of my favorite vocalists of all time.

On this album, Simone manages to be sweet, angry, bitter, innocent, experienced, and oh-so-blue. Each song complements the collection as a whole, and yet they vary widely in style, voice, instrumentation, and execution.

If you like honest and raw with a touch of finesse, then this Nina Simone CD is for you. So blue!

With the very first note, this album makes me go "Yeah Baby." Nina's voice is so emotional, so strong and so moving you can't help but close your eyes, smile and bop. "Do I move you" - Um. Oh yes. "Blues for Mama" Incredible. "My Man's gone now" Ouch. "Sugar in my Bowl" Sing that to your lover. "Buck" What the #*@! Simply amazing plus more. Listen to it, learn it, you'll be in love. - ABG

I have always loved Nina Simone's voice and have always thought she made great choices when choosing what songs to cover, and this CD is no exception. As a fan of the blues, I couldn't wait to hear this and I wasn't disappointed. She rocks "The Pusher", and turns Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" into a spiritual. The live version of "Gin House Blues" is incredibly infectious and I keep hitting repeat once it's over. This CD is full of gems. Anyone who is a fan of the blues or Nina Simone should own this; no one can sing the blues the way she did.